Image of the day- Blue Whistling Thrush

EXIF:

Camera: Canon 7DM2

Lens: Canon 400mm f/5.6

Shutter speed: 1/250 Sec

f-stop: f/6.3

ISO: 2500

Aperture Priority

Evaluative Metering.

In the past few days, I have been able to locate two nests of Wedge-tailed green pigeons and one of an Ashy Drongo. Also today morning I was extremely fortunate to see the courtship of a pair of Indian paradise flycatchers. Since they were in between dense trees, there was no shot and I put my camera aside.

My binocular however, offered me an amazing view and the way the male danced around the female, flicking its tail in the smoothest way possible was just a treat to watch. The female however, seemed uninterested and was constantly avoiding any contact with the male. After an interesting 10 minutes show, they disappeared into the dense forest beyond.

I then moved to a different spot near a HISWOL (Garhwali Name) tree, which now a days is full of berries. I eat them almost daily, and so does a Whiskered Yuhina.

The bush is also frequented by some Wedge-tailed green pigeons, Oriental white eyes, Black Bulbuls, Warblers and Chestnut-crowned laughing thrushes.

As I was sitting and shooting a Wedge-tailed green pigeon, a Blue whistling thrush, out of nowhere came and landed less than 15 feet from me. Though very common, Blue-whistling thrush is an extremely shy bird and hardly stops to give a shot. This guy however seemed a bit curious and gave me some 8 to 10 seconds of shooting time before flying to the forest beyond.

I have been wanting to make a portrait of this guy for a long long time now and today this guy finally offered me an opportunity to make the same. I loved the green background contrasting strongly with the dark blue color, and the yellow beak of this guy.

If i could re-shoot it now though, i would have used a f-stop of f/7.1 or even f/8 to get the head and beak tack sharp.

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About Creative Praveen

I am a highly passionate Nature and Wildlife Photographer specializing in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India.I have been in love with the Himalayas ever since I was a child. I was an Engineer before, but the calling for Himalayas was so strong that I eventually quit my job and embarked on a journey to discover the Himalayas first-hand and am currently exploring the region. I am in love with the culture and beauty of the Mighty Himalayas and specialize in capturing the Majestic Landscapes and beautiful birds of the region. I am also fascinated with the night sky and capture a lot of Nightscapes. I love trekking to the remotest corners of the Himalayas, staying for days in remote villages and tents in the Wilderness for my shots. One of my images has been published in the highly Prestigious Magazine “ Nature’s best Photography” , I also conduct photography workshops and Expeditions exclusively in the Himalayas, I have conducted several Nature Photo walks over a period spanning two years exploring the wilderness around Mumbai. Currently staying in a small town in Srinagar, Uttarakhand I am constantly exploring the region for Biodiversity hotspots.